Playing computer games can be good for your health, according to a British boffin. Mark Griffiths, professor of gambling studies at Nottingham Trent University, reckons that research into the effects of playing computer games "is often trivialised".

Yet, he believes it should be taken more seriously especially since it can help aid the recovery of people who are ill. His article in the British Medical journal (BMJ) found that playing games "can distract the player from the sensation of pain, a strategy that has been reported and evaluated among paediatric patients".